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OHIOHEALTH

4 Keys to Burping Your Baby Successfully

Burping your baby might seem like a simple task, but it’s extremely important. While feeding, babies swallow a lot of air. By burping them throughout feeding sessions, they’re able to release that air and make more room in their stomach for milk. If you are bottle feeding, burp your baby after each ounce he consumes. If you breastfeed, burp every 5-10 minutes. Some parents struggle when it comes to burping because each child is different and may need his own special treatment for success. If you’re having trouble, try one of these tips.

Mother burping baby on knee

Try Varied Positions

There are two commonly used positions for burping – sitting your baby on your lap or placing him over your shoulder. Depending on what works best for your baby, you’ll want to adjust for his comfort level. If you choose to sit him on your lap, use your arms and hands to support his head and body and use the other hand to burp him on the back. For babies that prefer to be over the shoulder, keep him facing towards you. Use one hand to hold him and the other to burp him, but make sure that your baby’s head is always supported.

Mother burping baby on shoulder

Find Your Rhythm

While it’s important that you’re not being rough while burping, being too gentle won’t get the job done, either. Make sure that you’re firmly patting his back in a rhythm for the best results. You can also bounce him lightly while burping to help him relieve some of the gas pressure. It’s very important that you don’t bounce or shake him too roughly.

Person feeding baby in a high chair

Consider Timing

Burping during feeding is necessary, but you may also need to burp when your baby isn’t feeding. This is especially true for babies who are colicky or have been crying as they tend to gasp and swallow more air. If you notice your baby is fussy and nothing else brings relief, he may need to be burped even if he hasn’t fed for a while.

Parent holding baby over shoulder

Don’t Give Up

You may have one baby who burps easily, but another who takes more effort. The important thing is to be persistent. It can be tiring and frustrating to spend a lot of time burping with no success, but being patient and finding what works for your little one will result in a healthier, happier baby.

 

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